Download or read book Codes and Symbols of European Tools written by Laurent Adamowicz and published by . This book was released on 2017-04-07 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Codes & Symbols of European Tools is the untold story of mysterious codes and symbols found on ancient Tools of all trades, from the Roman Period to the 19th century. It comprises 237 color illustrations of tools; their hidden symbols; and ancient manuscripts.Why did so many ancient tools contain symbols like stars, crosses, spirals, and hearts? Why do saws, hammers, rules, and chisels bear stamps comprising a compass and a square? Why are other tools engraved with letters, numbers, strange signs such as the numeral four with a long stem and a double cross? Why do so many tools from unrelated trades display a heart, or the exact same pattern of fishbone or even the letters "IHS" or "IOS"? In order to attempt to answer these questions, one must travel back in time and study not only the historical context in which these tools were made, but also the men and women who made them with their hands and their hearts. This study is the story of those men and women who built cathedrals and homes, bridges and roads, monuments and dreams.